In the autumn of the eighth month of the first year of the Zhangwu era, Liu Bei, whose courtesy name was Xuande, moved the main army to Kui Pass and set up camp at Baidi City. The vanguard cavalry had already reached Chuan Gate.

A close attendant reported, “An envoy from Wu has come, Zhuge Jin.”

Liu Bei ordered that he not be admitted yet. Huang Quan then suggested, “His younger brother serves as Chancellor in Shu. He must have come with a matter of importance. Why would Your Majesty shut him out? Summon him in and hear what he has to say. If what he says is acceptable, accept it. If it is not, let him deliver your reasons before Sun Quan, so there is a clear record of blame.”

Liu Bei followed that advice and summoned him into the city.

Zhuge Jin bowed and knelt on the ground. Liu Bei asked, “Ziyu, you have traveled a long way. What business brings you?”

Jin said, “I have long served Your Majesty, so I did not shrink from this post for fear of the blade. I came to report on Jing Province. Earlier, while Guan Yu was in Jing Province, the Lord of Wu sought relations with him several times, but Guan Yu refused. Later, when Guan Yu took Xiangyang, Cao Cao repeatedly wrote to the Lord of Wu and asked him to attack Jing Province. The Lord of Wu at first did not agree. Because he and Lü Meng had lost harmony, however, he raised troops on his own, and this caused a great disaster. He now regrets it beyond remedy.

It was Lü Meng’s fault, not the Lord of Wu’s. Lü Meng has since died, and that blood feud has ended. Lady Sun has all along wished to return. The Lord of Wu now sends me as envoy, asking to return her, and to bring back the surrendered generals, and to hand back Jing Province just as it was, so that the alliance and friendship between us might be secure forever and we might together destroy Cao Pi, thus righting the wrong of usurpation.”

Liu Bei, angry, said, “You from the East have injured my brother, and now you dare to come with smooth words?”

Jin said, “I beg leave to weigh what is heavy and what is light with Your Majesty. You are the Imperial Uncle of Han. The Han emperor has already been usurped by Cao Pi. Instead of eliminating him, you remain the ally of one of another surname and have bent your sovereign honor as Grand Chancellor; this is to abandon great righteousness for lesser concern. Jing Province and the two capitals are where the Great Han was founded. It is Your Majesty’s duty to take them, not to contend only for Jing Province. That is to discard the heavy and seize the light.

Everyone in the world knows that when Your Majesty takes office, you must revive Han and restore the realms and rivers. You now ignore Wei and instead seek to strike Wu. It is for Your Majesty’s interests to refrain from that.”

Liu Bei was enraged. “He who sought my brother’s blood is one with whom I can never share the heavens. If you ask me to halt my army, I will only rest when he is dead. You will not even see my Chancellor’s face; I will behead you first. For now, go back and tell Sun Quan to wash his neck and be ready for execution.”

Zhuge Jin saw that Liu Bei would not listen and had to make his return to Jiangnan.

Soon after, Zhang Zhao told Sun Quan, “Ziyu understands the strength of Shu’s army, and he has used the excuse of embassies to hide his intent to defect in secret. He will not return after this.”

Sun Quan said, “I have life-and-death obligations to Ziyu; I have never betrayed Ziyu, and Ziyu has never betrayed me. When Ziyu was at Chaisang, Kongming came to Wu, and I tried to keep him. Ziyu said, ‘My brother has pledged himself to Xuande and has no split loyalty. My not holding him is like Ziyu’s not coming here.’ His words still ring true. Could he now submit to Shu this day?”

At this point, someone at the edge of the assembly announced, “Zhuge Jin has returned.”

Sun Quan asked, “What did I say?”

Zhang Zhao, face flushed with shame, withdrew. Jin saw Sun Quan and reported that the ruler of Shu would not accept reconciliation.

Sun Quan cried out in alarm, “If this is so, Jiangnan is in peril.”

A man stepped forward from the floor and said, “I have one idea to remove this danger.” When Sun Quan looked, it was Senior Counselor Zhao Zi.

Sun Quan asked, “Zhi, what is this good plan?”

Zi said, “Your Majesty could send an imperial memorial to Wei. If I dare to be an envoy, I can speak to Emperor Cao Pi and explain this matter. If he should attack Hanzhong, Shu forces there will be endangered.”

Sun Quan was pleased. “This is best. But if you go, do not lose the bearing of Wu.”

Zi replied, “If I should make even a small error, I will throw myself in the river. How then could I face the people of Jiangnan?”

Sun Quan ordered him to compose the memorial on the spot and grant him a missive. He was sent as envoy.

He arrived in Xu by night and first presented himself to Grand Commandant Jia Xu and other senior and junior officials.

At morning audience, Jia Xu read aloud: “Eastern Wu has sent Grand Officer Zhao Zi to present a memorial.”

Cao Pi laughed. “This, I suppose, is to make Shu troops withdraw.” He ordered him in.

Zi bowed and knelt on the vermilion terrace.

Cao Pi read the memorial and then asked, “What manner of lord is the ruler of Wu?”

Zi replied, “A ruler of wisdom, benevolence, intelligence, and mighty force.”

Cao Pi laughed. “Isn’t your praise excessive?”

Zi answered, “I do not flatter him excessively. The Lord of Wu elevated Lu Su among ordinary officers, and that was wisdom. He drew Lü Meng forward in the ranks, and that was clarity. He captured Yu Jin and did not harm him, and that was benevolence. He took the Jing Province troops without spilling blood, and that was intelligence. He held the Three Rivers and watched the world from afar, and that was might. He bent in deference before Your Majesty, and that is his strategy. By this measure, is he not truly a lord of wisdom, benevolence, intelligence, and might?”

Cao Pi asked, “Does the Lord of Wu study the Classics?”

Zi said, “The Lord of Wu commands a hundred thousand armored troops across a million and can summon ships by the tens of thousands. He appoints the worthy and uses talent. In his spare hours he reads widely and surveys histories. He takes their broad principles, not simply searching text for text like a bookman seeking phrases.”

Cao Pi asked, “Do you think I could march on Wu?”

Zi replied, “A great state has the army for conquest; a smaller state has the means to defend.”

Cao Pi said, “Does Wu fear Wei?”

Zi answered, “With a million armored men, with the Jiang and Han Rivers as its moats, what fear could it have?”

Cao Pi asked, “How many men of talent does Wu have?”

Zi replied, “As to those with bright and penetrating minds, there are perhaps eighty or ninety. As for men like me, we are more than can be counted on the axles.”

Cao Pi sighed. “When an envoy is sent to the four quarters, he must not fail in his lord’s command. You are fit for this task.”

He then issued an edict and ordered the Minister of Ceremonies Xing Zhen to carry official tablets, enfeoffing Sun Quan as King of Wu and adding the Nine Seals.

Zi thanked him and was allowed to leave the city.

The courtier Liu Ye objected, “Now that Sun Quan came and submitted to Shu’s pressure, he does so from fear of your military force. In my poor view, if Wu and Shu fight, that is Heaven striking us. If we send a senior general with only tens of thousands across the river, Shu will attack from without and Wei from within. Wu will not fall slower than ten days. If Wu falls, Shu will stand alone. Why does Your Majesty not plan this earlier?”

Cao Pi said, “Sun Quan has shown courtesy to me. If I attack him, how could I discourage those who might otherwise submit? Better to take him in and make him ours.”

Liu Ye persisted, “Though Sun Quan has ability, he is merely Marquis of Nan Chang and Cavalier-General of the Han? (southern vanguard). In rank he is light and his influence is not yet deep; he still holds fear of the Central Plains. If you raise him to kingship, you only give the tiger added wings.”

Cao Pi said, “No. I will not assist Wu, but neither will I aid Shu. I will wait to see these two exhaust one another. If one kingdom falls and one survives, then it will be easy to remove it. My decision is fixed. Do not repeat this.”

He ordered Xing Zhen to go at once with the sealed gifts, and together with Zhao Zi to travel directly to Wu.

Sun Quan gathered the hundred officials and discussed how to meet Shu’s threat. A report arrived of Cao Pi’s enfeoffment of the Lord as king. Ritual protocol required a distant reception.

Gu Yong remonstrated, “Your Majesty should name yourself Grand General and Marquis of the Nine Provinces. It is not right to accept a title from the Wei emperor.”

Sun Quan replied, “On the day of Emperor Gaozu’s concession by Xiang Yu, it was all due to circumstance. Why should I decline now?”

He then went out with all the ministers to greet the delegation.

Xing Zhen relied on his status as envoy from the court above and came through the gate without stepping down from his carriage. Zhang Zhao was furious and shouted, “Ritual demands reverence, and the law permits no insolence. Yet you dare to carry yourself so proudly? Do you think Jiangnan has no blade honed to the finest point?”

Xing Zhen quickly dismounted and met Sun Quan, then entered the city. Behind him, one man shouted from the rear of the carriage, “How can we, who have not been able to hurl ourselves forth and die for our lord, now see him bowing to receive a peerage from another while we are expected to join in swallowing Wei and Wu? Is that not a disgrace?” Those heeded him were Xu Sheng.

Hearing this, Xing Zhen sighed. “Generals and ministers of Jiangdong like this will not be one who remains forever below others.”

Afterward Sun Quan, having accepted the title, received congratulations from all civil and military officers. He then ordered precious jade and pearls and other valuables gathered and sent men with thanks. A covert reporter had already carried word: Shu’s lord had brought out his native force, and with the barbarian king Shamo-ke there were tens of thousands of allied troops; Du Lu and Liu Ning, Han officers from Dongxi, had brought detachments as well. The attack by water and land advanced together, with the force on water already past Wukou and the land force already at Zigui.

Though Sun Quan now wore kingship, Cao Pi had not given practical support, and he asked his officers, “Shu force is strong. What then should we do?” All were silent.

Sun Quan sighed. “After Zhou Yu there was Lu Su. After Lu Su there was Lü Meng. Now Lü Meng is dead, and there is no one beside me to share my anxiety.” Before he could finish, a youth from the ranks sprang forward and knelt at the foot of the platform, saying, “I am young, but I have studied military texts. Grant me tens of thousands and I will break Shu’s army.”

Sun Quan recognized him as Sun Huan, whose courtesy name was Shuwu. His father was He, of the Yu surname by birth, and Sun Ce had loved him and bestowed the surname Sun; thus he too belonged to Wu’s royal clan. He Huan was the eldest of He’s four sons. He was already adept at horse and bow, often accompanying the king of Wu in campaigns and earning repeated achievements. He held the post of Captain of the Imperial Guard. He was twenty-five years old.

Sun Quan asked, “What is your plan to defeat them?”

Sun Huan said, “I have two senior generals: one named Li Yi, one named Xie Jing. Each has courage equal to ten thousand men. Grant me ten thousand men and I will seize Liu Bei.”

Sun Quan said, “Though courageous for your age, a boy cannot do this alone. You need one more commander.”

The Tiger-Wheei General Zhu Ran came forward and said, “I volunteer to take the field with the Little General Sun Huan.”

Sun Quan granted permission. He raised fifty thousand men across land and water, appointed Sun Huan left chief commander and Zhu Ran right chief commander, and ordered them to march immediately. Scouts reported that Shu troops had already encamped below Yidu. Sun Huan brought twenty-five thousand cavalry and troops to the Yidu border, and split them into three camps front and rear to face the enemy.

Shu’s commander Wu Ban, holding the seal of vanguard, had since coming out from Sichuan seen all cities submit before his coming wind. He had not spilled blood. He arrived at Yidu; learning that Sun Huan had encamped there, he reported immediately to Liu Bei.

At that time Liu Bei had reached Zigui. At the report he was angry and said, “How does this child dare to stand against me?”

Guan Xing said, “Since Sun Quan has made this young man commander, there is no need for Your Majesty to send a great general. Let me go and capture him.”

Liu Bei said, “I have wanted to test your courage.” He ordered Guan Xing onward.

As Guan Xing prepared to leave, Zhang Bao stepped forward and said, “Now that Guan Xing goes to punish the invader, I volunteer to go with him.”

Liu Bei approved. “The two of you going together is excellent. Be careful. Do not act rashly.”

The two bowing sons then took leave and joined the vanguard together. They moved in array.

When Sun Huan heard that Shu’s army was close and the camps were newly made, he had the camp raised again in many places. The two formations faced each other broadly. Sun Huan rode under the gateway banner with Li Yi and Xie Jing. In Shu’s camp, two major generals appeared—both on silver helmets and silver cuirasses, one on white horse with white banner. Zhang Bao was foremost, with an eight-foot iron spear; beneath him Guan Xing carried a broad war knife.

Zhang Bao shouted abuse: “Son of a lout, Sun Huan! You still dare to resist Heaven’s armies, even knowing you will die now!”

Sun Huan replied, “Your father has already become a headless ghost. You have come again to court death. You are not wise at all.”

Zhang Bao grew furious and thrust his spear straight at Sun Huan. Behind him, Xie Jing turned and charged to meet him.

The two captains fought for more than three dozen exchanges. Xie Jing fell away, and Zhang Bao pressed his advantage in pursuit.

Li Yi saw Xie Jing routed and, in panic, wheeled and raised a golden axe to join the fray. Zhang Bao and Li Yi fought for more than twenty rounds with no clear victor.

Then Tan Xiong, a Wu sub-commander, seeing Guan Xing’s daring and that Li Yi could not win, loosed one cold-tipped arrow that struck the horse Zhang Bao was riding. The animal recoiled in pain and ran back toward its own camp; before it reached the banner it collapsed to the ground, throwing Zhang Bao off.

Li Yi rushed forward and raised his great axe at the horse’s hooves, aiming at Zhang Bao’s head.

At that instant, a red flash came and Li Yi’s head was already on the ground. Guan Xing had watched Zhang Bao’s horse turn and was waiting for a chance to intervene. On seeing Li Yi come forward, he shouted once and split him down from beneath his saddle, rescuing Zhang Bao and then cutting down many in the press.

Sun Huan was badly beaten and each side sounded the bronze to withdraw.

The next day Sun Huan came again with troops. Zhang Bao and Guan Xing rode out together. Guan Xing mounted before the line and challenged him directly. Sun Huan, in fury, rode forward, sword raised, and fought with Guan Xing for more than thirty exchanges, his strength failing and he retreated in defeat to his camp.

The two younger generals pursued the enemy into the camp. Wu Ban ordered Zhang Nan and Feng Xi to drive in soldiers and cover the kill. Zhang Bao rushed forward bravely and charged into the Wu army. He met Xie Jing in close combat and killed him with a spear thrust. The Wu soldiers broke and scattered in panic.

The Shu force took up the victory and withdrew, but Guan Xing was not to be found.

Zhang Bao exclaimed in alarm, “I have not lived to see the disaster of peace and order! I must go.” He shouted as he spurred, and mounted with a trident.

After a short distance he saw Guan Xing, left hand holding a blade, right hand seizing a living man.

Zhang Bao asked, “Who is this?”

Guan Xing answered with a laugh, “In the wild melee I ran into my nemesis and captured him alive.”

Looking closely, he recognized him as Tan Xiong. Zhang Bao rejoiced and with him they returned to camp, cut down the head, drained the blood, made offering for the dead horse, and immediately dispatched a courier to Liu Bei to report the victory.

Sun Huan had already slain Li Yi, Xie Jing, Tan Xiong, and many officers, so he was depleted and isolated, unable to resist for long. He sent for aid from Wu.

Wu commanders Zhang Nan and Feng Xi told Wu Ban, “Wu’s forces have just been broken. It is just now a good moment to rush their camp and loot it.”

Wu Ban replied, “Though Sun Huan has lost many officers, Zhu Ran with the water army is now camping on the river and has not yet been broken. If we go to loot the camp and his water army lands, they could cut off our route home. What then?”

Zhang Nan said, “It is simple. Send Generals Guan Xing and Zhang Bao each with five thousand men to lie in ambush in the mountain valley. If Zhu Ran comes to rescue, both wings attack together and we are certain to win.”

Wu Ban said, “Better first send a few common soldiers who pretend to have surrendered and tell Zhu Ran they are in danger of the camp-loot. When he sees the fires, he will come to rescue; let the ambush strike him, and our enterprise will succeed.”

Feng Xi and the others rejoiced, and they acted accordingly.

When Zhu Ran heard Sun Huan’s losses and the fall of his officers, he was preparing to come to the rescue when suddenly a handful of soldiers from the ambush unit boarded boats and surrendered.

He asked, “What is your report?”

They replied, “We are soldiers under Feng Xi. Because punishments were unclear, we have come to surrender and bring intelligence. Tonight Feng Xi intends to exploit open ground and seize Commander Sun Huan’s camp. The signal is agreed: fires are to be raised.”

When Zhu Ran finished hearing this, he sent it to Sun Huan immediately. The messenger was killed halfway by Guan Xing.

Zhu Ran considered and decided he should go to the rescue. Commander Cui Yu advised, “Do not trust the soldiers’ report completely. If it is a trap, both our water and land forces will be destroyed. You should hold your river camp steadily. I volunteer to lead a force for you.”

Zhu Ran accepted this, and told Cui Yu to take ten thousand men forward.

That night, Feng Xi, Zhang Nan, and Wu Ban split their troops into three routes and drove straight into Sun Huan’s camp. Fires rose in all directions.

Wu soldiers were thrown into confusion and ran in panic.

As Cui Yu was on the move, he too saw the fires rise and urged his men forward. He had just crossed the mountain when drums thundered in the valley; on the left was Guan Xing and on the right Zhang Bao, and the two wings struck together.

Cui Yu was alarmed and tried to flee, but met Zhang Bao. They fought once with matching horses before Zhang Bao captured him alive and brought him back.

Zhu Ran, seeing the urgency, sent his ships drifting downstream fifty to sixty li.

Sun Huan gathered his broken army and fled. He asked his officer where they might be in a city with strong walls and broad grain stores.

The officer answered, “If we go straight north, Yiling city can hold us.”

Sun Huan pushed on with the broken force toward Yiling. As soon as he entered, Wu Ban and others closed in with full encirclement.

Guan Xing and Zhang Bao brought Cui Yu to Zigui. Liu Bei was very pleased. He executed Cui Yu at once and rewarded the three armies lavishly. From then on, Wu’s commanders in Jiangnan were struck with fear by the force of Shu’s prestige.

Sun Huan asked Wu for aid from the king, and Sun Quan was greatly alarmed. He summoned ministers and officers to meet.

He asked, “Now Sun Huan is trapped at Yiling and Zhu Ran has been badly defeated in the river. Shu’s force is great. What now?”

Zhang Zhao proposed, “Though many commanders have already fallen, there are still over ten. Why worry over Liu Bei? Command Han Dang as main commander, Zhou Tai as deputy, Pan Zhang as vanguard, Ling Tong in support, and Gan Ning in reserve. Raise an army of one hundred thousand and resist him.”

Sun Quan acted on this advice and sent the generals at once. Gan Ning, at this moment, was sick with dysentery, but he marched despite his illness.

Liu Bei advanced from the Jianping in Wuxia Gorge and directly reached the Yiling line, where he linked over seventy li with more than forty encampments.

He praised the repeated major achievements of Guan Xing and Zhang Bao, saying, “Formerly, those generals from my side were old and useless. Now with two nephews so heroic, what reason have I to fear Sun Quan?”

As he spoke, he heard that Han Dang and Zhou Tai had arrived with troops. Liu Bei was preparing to send commanders to meet them when an attendant said, “The old general Huang Zhong has gone to Wu with five or six men.”

Liu Bei laughed. “Huang Zhong, with the sobriquet Hansheng, is no traitor. Because I carelessly said, once, that old men were no use, he must have taken it badly and gone to contend in earnest to prove me wrong. Call in Guan Xing and Zhang Bao. Huang Zhong is sure to make errors on this expedition. My worthy nephews must not refuse hardship. They may go to aid him. If there is even the smallest merit, then send him back. Do not let him fail.”

The two young commanders bowed, took leave of their teacher, and brought their own troops to assist Huang Zhong.

The old minister has always sworn a loyal purpose to his lord; Young men can render meritorious service to the realm.

What became of Huang Zhong remains to be seen.

How this turned out will be told in the next chapter.